Tag: teaching

A Simple Hug – 20th March 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 3 Comments

Her head is far away

from her heart,

All that thinking

for the future,

Cut off

from the universe

of love,

Alive only in name,

a sapless tree

without root.


She is the outsider

by choice,

Uneasy, drifting

without direction,

Trying not to feel.

Efficient logic

manipulated

and controlled,

Thinking not to feel.

She was scared.

She didn’t know

she just needed

a hug.


Her demeanour

softened,

almost a smile.

She began to cry

before running.

She knew

that was all

she ever wanted.

This was written in November regarding a specific incident involving a student. Something common among many of the students I teach is the lack of affection they have received in their short lifetimes, not knowing or understanding that they are missing it. Just a simple hug has made a big difference to many.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Ready And At Home

Put your head on when difficulties knock at your door
Your visitor may not be who you were hoping for
No one wishes for adversity to be standing there
But your virtue makes it much easier to bear

Saving – 19th January 2026

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 12 Comments

is she listening
as the teacher booms commands?

her resistance to learning
turns to crackle and hiss.

the problem is not with her ears.

Shared with Reena’s Xploration Challenge #413 and based on an interesting incident this week. The inappropriate title comes from a translation of the subject’s name.
The form is the Wayra: This short syllabic verse has 5 lines with a syllable count of 5/7/7/6/8. It is unrhymed and incorporates onomatopoeia within the verse.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

Wherever You Go, There Your Choice Is

One day, we’re flying high
The next may be lying low
Our choice always tells us why
We found which way to go

Time Well Spent – 19th November 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 23 Comments

Above the roaring chaos of the rooms
The petty squabbles of emotional fools
Moulding little munchkins while running on fumes
Stuck in a system broken; made to be rules

Making peace amongst the many positions
Knowing little more than the best use of tools
Embracing the insistent inquisitions
Every teacher’s a student that schools

I found a job that I truly love, where I can put my whole self into it.
Shared with dVerse OLN #396 and this didn’t get many eyes and also conveniently meets the What’s Going On prompt this week too.

Life Is Pain – 29th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 8 Comments

With my demons, I wrestle
While probing fingers point
Storm clouds gather undecided
In search of a swollen joint

Tickled tortures beyond pain
With needles under nails
Washed away on the tides
Of one-too-many fails

Without you, I would no longer exist

Shared with dVerse Quadrille #213 – with

Today I’m feeling:

Good once I got going. I woke up stiff but tried my best with some tough ab exercises (tough for me!).

Lin told me this morning that my tummy was smaller today but I think she was teasing me!

I continued with my grade 8 classes in the same style as yesterday and that all went well (for me at least!)

Finishing off with just half of the students in my grade 11 class – the HAP students, as last week I only taught the J-Biz students and I knew the J-Biz kids could go and do preparation work for the Japan Day next month.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

Gui at House contacting me saying that he will open again but he’s starting again at a new location in the city, which is a shame as it will be too far for me to go each day.

It was nice of him to contact me, though and let me know what he’s up to. I think I will try and get out on Tuesdays when I have a four-hour gap between classes. I will go to his new shop and also try a couple of others to see if I can find a nice spot again.

The best thing about today was:

Today was another one of those all-around good days with nothing in particular standing out as better than anything else. I like days like this.

I also think that going back to a full tablet of sertraline has had an immediate effect on my mood. I’m told that it’s such a low dose that it’s not even likely to be doing anything and it’s supposed to take a couple of weeks to take effect and perhaps it’s the placebo effect and all but either way, after just two days back at 50mg, I don’t have any bad feelings or thoughts.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

It was a little annoying to me to watch George just sitting in a classroom looking at his phone whilst his class were just playing games, doing make-up or messing around. I teach those students too, so I took the opportunity to help a couple of them whose work I didn’t have time to check during my class with them.

Review your acts, Good and bad.

David was getting frustrated with trying to print out his monthly report today and he asked me to help. I ribbed him about using a Windows laptop and even me trying to help didn’t fix the problem.

I asked him to send me the file so I could try it and, of course, it printed properly on the first try.

With my little windfall yesterday, I sent Anchan a little more money to support her.

I’m also trying to encourage Baipad to get back into drawing more, especially as it is something she shares in common with a boy she likes.

When I was coming back in from the cafe, some of my old grade 9 students were kicking a ball around, so I joined them. Next to us was another group of students also kicking a ball around.

Kru Ell was navigating her way between the two groups when the other group’s ball accidentally hit her on the head and hands, knocking her glasses off and spilling her drink to the ground.

The boys were super apologetic and I got the one boy who had kicked the ball to quickly go back into the cafe and get her another drink. Kru Ell’s glasses were ok and she was more shocked than anything – she didn’t blame the kids.

Toey took this picture of Baipad because they met after school tonight. I think she sent it to me to show how happy she was to meet him! Young romance.

Screaming Seagulls – 28th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 17 Comments

I lost my mother
When the screaming seagulls fell
Our house now a mausoleum

–

Rebuilding a life
A family of my own
Will be my only revenge

This mondo shared with #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge: Silver Linings. Image found at Palestine Will Be Free Substack
6th Dec 2025 – Shared with Poets and Storytellers United #206 – everybody scream

Today I’m feeling:

Surprisingly good. I slept ok until my dream, which was disembarking from an airplane and then searching for a bathroom and never managing to find one.

I was approaching consciousness and wondering what time it was and whether to get up to pee. I decided to look at my phone and it was only 4 minutes until my alarm, so I got up and took advantage of the extra few minutes with my exercise and hanging.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

An unexpected windfall.

Last year, sick of my student Kwang never having a working phone when I was constantly having students utilise their phones in class, I brought in my old Samsung for her to use. To be honest, I never really expected it to come back, knowing what Kwang is like.

At the end of last semester, I kept asking her to bring the phone back but she always had some excuse about it. I asked Kru Karn to ask her parents and grandparents about it too, but all to no avail.

Due to her poor performance in school, Kwang was due to switch schools for this semester but needed all the paperwork sorted at our school first. Kru Karn used my phone as a hold over her being able to go to a new school, asking her to either return the phone or pay for it. I have no idea how much it was worth and just came up with 6000 baht off the top of my head.

Kwang’s mum asked for a discount to 5000 baht, to which I readily agreed, still not expecting anything to come of it, but this morning suddenly, I was 5000 baht richer!

I have no idea what ever happened to the phone, my guess is that either Kwang or her mum sold it already, maybe for more than I was asking. I don’t care, it doesn’t matter.

I liked Kwang, though she was obviously fucked up by her family situation. She has chosen a path that I tried to steer her away from but I hope that one day she will be mature enough to figure her way back, as she is smart, too.

As I told Kru Karn, I tried my best for her.

The best thing about today was:

Coming across a great lesson for my grade 8 classes today. It started with writing out a simple text with some highlighted words and those words they had to translate. This is usually the first two parts of a reading class that I will do, usually followed by asking them to read for me and answer some comprehension questions.

As this was a very simple text and they had seen it before with Kru NumNim last semester, I thought to try something different.

They had 11 highlighted words or phrases, which they could understand because they had already translated them. Then I asked them to write a sentence for each word but, the first sentence must be three words long, the second sentence four words long and so on.

This task got everyone settled down into figuring out proper sentences with this restriction. I advised them that they could use Google Translate (or ChatGPT) to help but some had a go at it by themselves.

As a follow-up to this, I will take their phones from them tomorrow and ask them to do the task again.

These two classes are usually stressful for me but this lesson really worked well. These kinds of lessons come along every now and then and I think I have to utilise the idea a few more times in the semester.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I strained my lower back a little bit today but it was my own fault. In my morning exercise, I did Swimmer-Superman, which engages the lower back and the strain feels nice.

In the afternoon, I wandered into monkey Sarah’s class and she came and played with me. To playfully punish her, I picked her up around the waist and turned her upside down. She screamed and laughed and I let her down again.

A few minutes later, I felt a twinge in my lower back. I asked her how much she weighed, as she is pretty skinny and probably not even 5 feet tall. She said that she was 48kg, which is more than some of her friends who are taller than her.

Anyway, I will be more careful about who I pick up and play with next time!

Something I learned today?

(See above!)

In Opposition – 27th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 6 Comments

Defined by dualities
A refusal to conform
There’s no moral dilemma
Opposition being born

What sacrifices are made
Challenging the status quo
Protest against injustice
Opposing the mainstream show

Countering counterculture
The margins are underground
Narrative struggles remain
Where opposition is found

The conflict of one’s desire
Families beggar belief
Carving out personal faith
Opposition brings relief

Shared with Poets and Storytellers United – opposite concepts

Today I’m feeling:

Not so bad, though my stomach still feels a bit weird but I think I have it in my control again!

I didn’t sleep particularly well as I was hot throughout the night. It seems that winter is taking its time arriving properly this year and I still put the aircon on for a few hours but considering keeping it on all night if it helps me stay asleep.

I skipped exercise this morning, mostly due to fear of an accident when squatting or doing a sit-up etc.

I took a full sertraline again today and will see if I settle back down with my thoughts again.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Getting my monthly report finished during the 50-minute break between classes. At least, assuming that it doesn’t need revision. It’s another task that is a waste of time but someone somewhere has decided it is necessary, probably because someone else, somewhere else, has been abusing the system. Never let a good solution get in the way of doing extra work!

The best thing about today was:

Both my classes today were excellent, with students getting involved in doing the work I asked of them. Easy, as they were grade 12 and grade 10.

Maybe I should be demanding that I only teach the high school kids like George does. I would like the easy life too!

Tomorrow is two classes of grade 8s. Ugh! Haha. They are all my favourite kids, but not my favourite students.

Something I learned today?

When the power was out yesterday, Amy went across to the auntie’s, whose house was also out, the one where Tangmo lives. We haven’t seen him for a few days and Amy asked if he was ok. The auntie there said that in the evenings, he likes to go off to the market and hang around there, where he can find food and probably cuddles and more adventure.

Amy said she would be worried about him having to cross the highway to get there, but auntie said that they have seen him waiting for the light to turn red before crossing!

Still, if he were my pup, I would be making sure he had enough love and comforts to want to stay around home and not wander off so far for the evenings!

The Greatest Happiness Possible – 26th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 15 Comments

Look deep into the eyes
Of the cat and dog freed from its cage
There to be seen
The root of all human happiness
To chase around the beach, cuddle and engage

Inspired by Existential Comics 566 (excerpted)
24th Sep 2025 – Shared with dVerse Poetics Tuesday

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good this morning. I got out of the house a couple of minutes early so that I didn’t have to rush to get to school.

Tuesday classes are pretty straightforward as they are grades 10 and 12 and whilst I had some strugglers, it was actually fun to try and get them to understand the minor grammar points.

Later, though, I was reminded about a lesson request I had before about the Thai TV show Hormones and I ended up putting that together during my break.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Whoever it is that fixes up our electricity supply and whoever it is that calls them when our power goes out.

The best thing about today was:

Having some time to sit down and write. I hadn’t really written anything for a few days and wasn’t feeling particularly inspired and so I forced myself into a writing headspace until I found it familiar again. I was fairly happy with the results, too.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

This evening, after dinner and after dark, the power suddenly went out. We went out to investigate and whilst most everyone still had power, a few random houses were out. I’m not quite sure how that works but anyway….

As I was walking back up our driveway, I had a feeling that I needed the bathroom, which was a bit annoying as there may only be one flush in the cistern. My stomach was telling me to hurry up and I got to the bathroom in the light of my phone and went to get the scoop from the big tub of water we keep stored there (in our second bathroom) when suddenly… it was too late. I had no control!

I was undecided whether to pull my pants down or not! I was scared I was going to spray the room. The smell was nauseating and, as I did finally manage to sit down, my guts emptied further as I sat there bewildered.

I could barely see anything with the light from the phone and was scared to even look but luckily I seemed to have contained most of it either in the bowl or my pants, which I duly rinsed in the shower with water from the tub, also showering myself.

I cleaned up myself, the bathroom and my clothes properly after the power came back.

My stomach is still a bit off and I’m just hoping that there are no surprises whilst I’m sleeping!

Amy thought it was hilarious and was immediately on the phone to her mum, describing everything and laughing her head off!

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I encouraged Nong Fah to do some extra English study and to practice speaking with me more when she has a chance. I hope that she doesn’t get left behind in high school and then end up wondering what she should be doing.

I took this screenshot because I saw Iphone live in Tiktok and then found this welcome page text. Iphone is definitely not 18!

The Modal Headline – 25th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Learning what to ignore
Can lead to learning more
Is this really news?
It may be just for views

Does the banner fright me?
Is it true? It might be!
You must stand up to defend
Cos this could be the end

Any should or would
Could be understood
What it means to kill
It will, it will!

Any headline and byline using modal verbs can safely be ignored as news.

Today I’m feeling:

A bit anxious and overexcited for some reason. I woke up, did exercise and everything, all feeling good but then something compelled me to drive fast to work when it really wasn’t that necessary.

Once at school, I relaxed and enjoyed chatting with the students and my first class was fine. The second, though (grade 8s), was very frustrating with kids playing dumb, sleeping or distracting others.

I gave up and set them a small task and waited for them to complete it so they could go. The kids playing up didn’t bother and rather than getting frustrated, I just let them do what they want.

I shouldn’t stress myself over it.

Health:

Physical: 8
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

One of the ladies in the office where the photocopier is. I didn’t bring any paper with me and it soon ran out in the machine. I went into the office and asked if they had more, but the first two replies were negative.

I kinda shrugged ‘ok’ and went back in to get my bag, but another lady followed me and pulled out a fresh slab of A4 from a box (so they obviously knew that they had some but didn’t want to supply it). I was grateful for her help.

We are a school that wastes tons of paper printing nonsense every day, yet isn’t keen on its teachers printing out worksheets!

The best thing about today was:

My frustrating morning class made me take some time to write up some new lessons this afternoon in the teacher’s room.

From there, I could see George teaching in the room opposite and I was surprised when the students started leaving, almost 40 minutes early.

I’m not sure whether to be bothered by him not teaching his full-length classes (he always arrives late to class too) or to figure that I should relax myself more in my own classes. I know I should give myself the opportunity to chill about it but also feel an obligation to do my best for my students.

Anyway, the day provided me with some inspiration as I put together some slides and did some printing.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

My mood was a bit up and down again today and I’m thinking to go back to my full dose of sertraline again. It’s not worth feeling like this just to try and stop taking it, really, with the only purpose to see if I can.

I have a half tomorrow and then will go back to a full pill again on Wednesday.

Something I learned today?

As I was going to my first class in the morning, I found Baipad talking with Cake. I didn’t know that they knew each other but they met during the last time they had scout week.

I told Baipad why I thought Cake was the smartest student I’ve had the pleasure of teaching and advised to stay around with her if and when she can.

I took this picture because Cap has secured a new spot, for a while, at least. Could he be a bookshop cat? I don’t think so.

Canon – 20th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 13 Comments

I have the words within my pages
My knowledge forms your future texts
Amassed wisdom sung from many sages
Collected comforts to which all connects

This power I pass for you to share
The lessons lived easily explain
To conquer chaos and choose to care
To shrink in size or grow to gain

Your personal action accumulates
Eyes sparkle like dancing diamonds
Mixing the messes of made mistakes
Form the future from many islands

Shared with What Do You See #263 and submitted to an AllPoetry assignment about alliteration.

Today I’m feeling:

OK, once I got going. I slept pretty well and my alarm was a bit of a shock. Exercise and a cold shower jazzed me up all right and once at school, it was fun to back around the students, which gave me some positive vibes.

It was a pretty easy day with one grade 12 class (who were more rowdy than usual but still did my work) and a quick grade 10 class that was excellent. I really like that class, but there are 47 of them, and it’s difficult to take time with some individuals that need help more than others.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 7

Today I’m grateful for:

Deciding to go to Oasis to pick up some dinner. I think I haven’t been there for more than six months now and the food is as delicious as ever.

The best thing about today was:

Being so happy and relaxed after my last class that I was still chatting with students around the school an hour later.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Something I learned today?

I figured out what I was trying to remember yesterday! It was when I was in the bathroom, drying myself off after a shower. Just recently, I noticed that my right nipple is lower than my left! Maybe it’s always been like this – I’m not sure.

Anyway, I was wondering if it might be connected to the pain I have in my right shoulder. Maybe some muscles in there are not quite working properly.

I have a desire for symmetry!

Review your acts, Good and bad.

I made Baipad and Q get up and walk this morning – just for a couple of minutes. I talked to Q but he couldn’t understand any English but Baipad translated everything quickly and easily. I told her that she should think about getting into translation work.

Later, in my grade 12 class, Men told me that he does translation for mobile games. Maybe a good contact for Baipad for the future.

When crazy Sarah steals my phone!

It Was Told – 19th November 2024

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 5 Comments

Time out of mind, the rock of ages
The time of our lives was to be had
Foretold on ageing faded pages
Three heads good, foreheads bad

Sands a-trickle made to measure
Losing track as the dawn is cracking
Always racing towards some leisure
Begged and borrowed to be slacking

It’s up, beyond a blue moon hiding
To weave a future, past and pleasant
Dropped stitches will do their biding
When Nick manifests in the present

Shared with No Theme Thursday picture prompt (above) and Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Foretelling

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good again, though my shoulder is hurting a bit, probably from overuse with exercise, hanging and general bad posture.

An easy day at school today, as I will come home for a psych appointment in the afternoon. I’ve given my afternoon class work to do – let’s see if they will actually do it!

For my morning class, only 4 students attended as the others were visting MFU open house today. It was good to be able to sit with so few students (who are all motivated too) and go through a simple lesson with some chitchat and we were all done with 30 minutes to spare.

Health:

Physical: 7
Mental: 8

Today I’m grateful for:

The hospital system here. I saw the psych and told him I’m doing ok on half a tablet a day, just getting a little dizzy and he said to keep going and gave me some more medicine to keep going. All up it cost me 250 baht – about 10 Aussie dollars.

The best thing about today was:

Having such a simple and straightforward day and being about to go about things at a fairly chill speed.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I played some guitar again but my wrist was straining during the warm-up exercise and I sucked at the song I’m always trying to improve on! Uh! Some days good, some days bad!

Predictably, most of my grade 10 students didn’t bother doing my class work. So annoying, having to constantly chase up students for work!

Something I learned today?

There’s something that keeps crossing my mind to put here but every time I sit down to do it, I can’t remember what it is!

Review your acts, Good and bad.

Baipad messaged me last night that she feels tired and bored and doesn’t want to come to school. She seems aware that her days are a little predictable and so this morning I arrived in the canteen where she and her friends always sit and I pulled her out and made her walk with me a little around school.

Whilst she was complaining and fighting me, I was telling her that it’s something different, break her routine and get off the phone. Although she wasn’t particularly impressed, I could see the smile on her face and that she was a bit more lively just after this.

I told her that we will do the same tomorrow and Wawa has to come with us too. Let’s see.

Tonkhaw took this picture of Satang during the class I missed today. Obviously busy…